Apparatus for equalizing tensions of sub-tows



Filed 001?. 31, 1967 Feb. 24, 1970 RIHEI -TA'KEUTI ETAL 3,497,123

' APPARATUS FOR EUALIZING TENsLoNs 0F SUB-'rows A2 Sheets-Sheet l Rum-:l Tmceu'n vMm HlsHmo usos:

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Feb. 24, 1970 R|HE| TAKEUTI ETAL 3,497,123

APPARATUS FOR EQUALIZING 'PENSIONS 0F SUB-TOWS Filed oct. 31. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 RIHE TKEUT mn Hmm-Ilka lsoE IN VEN TORS MLJMRLLL Il PMA. my

United States Patent 3,497,123 APPARATUS FOR EQUALlZlNG TENSIONS 0F SUB-TOWS Rihei Takeuti and Hidehiko Isobe, Matsuyama-shi, Japan, assignors to Teijin Limited, Osaka, Japan Filed Oct. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 679,352 Claims priority, application Japan, Nov. 5, 1966, i1/72,774 lut. Cl. B65h 23/08 U.S. Cl. 226-195 4 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for equalizing the tension of sub-tows, which is characterized in that before the gathering of a plurality of sub-tows having diiferent tension and running in substantially parallel relation with one another into one tow, each of the sub-tows is subjected to a different resistance by deecting it to a different degree to thereby equalize the tensions of the sub-tows'.

This invention relates to an apparatus for equalizing the tensions of sub-tows. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for equalizing the tension of a plurality of undrawn sub-tows before gathering these sub-tows into one two to be drawn.

By the term sub-tow used herein is meant a large total denier strand of thermoplastic synthetic continuous filaments. A plurality of such substantially undrawn subtows are separately removed from respective sub-tow supply sources, guided by guide members having different length in the direction of advancement of the sub-tows.

provided above the supply sources in substantially parallel spaced relation, gathered into one massive strand, i.e., a tow, and then subjected to a drawing operation. Usually, a sub-tow from a supply source positioned in the direction of advancement of the sub-tows farther away from a drawing machine has a higher tension as it contacts more guide members, whereas a sub-tow from a supply source positioned nearer the drawing machine possesses less tension as it contacts less guide members. Therefore, when a tow from such sub-tows'of different tension is drawn7 the draw point is not fixed and tends to be deviated, and there is an increasing tendency of the breakage of some laments during drawing to produce free fiber ends, with the result that a frequency of the free fiber ends being wound around draw rollers is increased. Moreover, it often happens that a uniform drawn product is not obtained.

This invention has an object for overcoming of these difficulties.

This invention provides an apparatus for equalizing the tensions of sub-tows having different tension and running in substantially parallel relation with one another, each of the sub-tows being subjected to a different resistance by deecting it to a diiferent degree to thereby equalize the tensions of the sub-tows comprising sub-tow supply sources each supplying a substantially undrawn sub-tow; guide members above the said sources for guiding the said sub-tows removed from the said sources separately in substantially parallel spaced relation; a device for controlling the tensions of the sub-tows including a pair of additional guide members and a means for deflecting a path of advancement of the sub-tows disposed between the said guide means and thereby adjusting the length of that portion of the sub-tow which is contacted with the said pair of guide members. The guide members and additional guide members can be supported by a supporting member which extends in substantially parallel relation with the sub-tows to be guided by these guide 3,497,123 Patented Feb. 24, 1970 members. In one advantageous embodiment of this invention, it is convenient that a source of supply of subtow to be guided by more guide members is positioned nearer the above-mentioned supporting member. In other words, the use of an especially simple apparatus according to this invention is possible if it is designed so that a sub-tow from a supply source positioned farther away from the drawing machine may run nearer the supporting member.

Now, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view diagrammatically illustrating one apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view diagrammatically illustrating a sub-tow tension adjusting device in another apparatus according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan View of FIG. 2; and,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 3.

A plurality of sub-tows are separately removed from respective cans 2, positioned in the direction of advancement of the sub-tows, in which they are separately stored, and are guided in substantially parallel spaced relation by the guide members above the cans 2. Each of the guide members consists of a guide rod 4 tted to a frame 5 and a guide hook 3 fitted to the tip of the rod 4. The guide member may be a roll rotatably secured to a supporting member (such as frame 5). The sub-tows are then guided by a pair of additional guide rods 6 and 7 fitted to the frame 5, gathered by a gathering apparatus (not shown) into one massive strand, and drawn by a drawing machine (not shown). Between the guide rods 6 and 7 is provided a means consisting of a supporting rod 8 secured to the frame 5 and a plurality of ring guides 10, each of the ring guides 10 having a ring 9 for guiding each of the sub-tows separately and being screwed onto the supporting rod 8 for the adjustment of the level of the ring 9. The path of advancement of each sub-tow from the guide rod 6 to guide rod 7 is deected by passing each sub-tow through the hole of each ring 9. The degree of deection is determined according to the tension of each sub-tow. It is necessary to render the degree of deflection less for a sub-tow having a higher tension, and to render it larger for a sub-tow having a lower tension. The adjustment of the degree of deflection can be carried out by moving the ring guide 10 screwed onto the supporting rod 8 up and down. Thus, the tension of a subtow leaving the guide rod 7 is uniform.

FIGURES 2 to 4 show a simple tension adjusting means according to this invention. This means can be applied to an instance where a supply source for a sub-tow to be guided by more guide members is positioned nearer the supporting member 5. It consists of one plate 12 having perforated therein in substantially one row a plurality of holes 11 for separate guidance of the sub-tows. The plate 12 extends in the transverse direction of the sub-tows and is mounted on the supporting member 5 so that an angle formed between the plate and one horizontal plane may be varied. One end of the plate 12 is in the form of a gear 16 which is supported rotatably by the frame S. The gear 16 is meshed with a Worm 15 pivotally supported by bearings 13 and 14. When the worm 15 is rotated by a handle 17 secured to one of its ends, the gear 16 rotates about its supporting shaft, whereby an angle between the plate 12 and one horizontal plane is varied. Thus, as seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, a sub-tow farther away from the frame 5 (that is, a sub-tow having less tension) is deiiected to a greater degree in its passage from the guide rod 6 to the guide rod 7, whereby the contact length with the guide rods 6 and 7 becomes greater.

The advantages of this invention will now be illusv trated by the following examples.

Example 1 Thirty sub-tows of 45,500 denier composed of substantially undrawn polyethylene terephthalate filaments having an intrinsic viscosity measured in ortho-chlorophenol at 35 C. of 0.62, a birefringence of 530 10"5 and a equalizing tension according to this invention was not used, the drawing point was uctuated over a range of about 10 to 15 cm. during the drawing operation, and the uniformity of the quality of the product was poorer. The obtained results are shown in the following table.

titer of the individual filaments of 4.5 den. were gathered into one tow by means of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and then drawn to 3.80 times the original lengths in a hot water bath maintained at 70 C. The peripheral speed of draw rollers lwas 100 m./min. The drawn filaments were crimped by an ordinary stuing technique, and heattreated at 140 C. while allowing a free shrinkage. The levels of the rings in the ring guides l were separately adjusted so that the tensions of the sub-tows measured after passing the guide rod 7 might be a predetermined value (8015 g.). That the drawing was smoothly practised could be substantiated by the fact that there was no uctuation in the drawing point, that no filaments with undrawn portions were found, and that the frequency of some filaments being wound around the draw rolls owing to the breakage during drawing is as low as 0.2 time per hour. The obtained product had a uniform quality, a titer of 1.50t0.0l, a tensile strength of S28-:01.06 g./ den. and an elongation of 45.3115

For the sake of comparison, the above procedures were repeated except that the equalization of tension according to this invention was not effected. The tension of the subtow supplied from a position nearest the drawing machine was 475:8 g., and that of the sub-tow supplied from a position farthest away from the drawing machine was 8015 g. In this control run, the draw point was uctuated over a range of about cm. during the drawing procedure. There were 3.8 filaments with undrawn portions per 100,000 laments. The frequency of some broken laments being wound around the draw rolls during the drawing operation was 4.5 times per hour. The obtained product had a titer of 1.47i0.04 den a tensile strength of 5.20i0.21 g./den. and an elongation of 47.0i2.8%.

Example 2 Thirty sub-tows of 45,500 denier composed of substantially undrawn polyethylene terephthalate-isophthalate (an isophthalate content of 4.5 mole percent) having an intrinsic viscosity measured in ortho-chlorophenol at 35 C. of 0.64, a birefringence of 508 105 and a titer of the individual filaments of 4.5 den. were gathered into one tow by means of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, drawn to 3.73 times the original lengths in a steam bath at 110 C. with the peripheral speed of the draw rolls maintained at 110 IIL/min., crimped, and heat-treated at 135 C. while allowing a free shrinkage. In this run, the device shown in FIG. 2 was used instead of the tension adjusting device shown in FIG. 1. The used guide plate 12 has thirty holes 11 provided at equal intervals. In this example, the tensions of all the sub-tows measured after the passage of the guide rod 7 could be adjusted to a predetermined value (80i5 g.) by inclining the guide plate 1 2 at an angle of about to the horizontal plane.

In this run, the drawing could be eiected smoothly and a product of uniform quality could be obtained. On the other hand, in a control run in which the device for What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for equalizing the tensions of subtows having diferent tensions and running in substantially parallel relation with one another, each of said subtows being subjected to a different resistance by deflecting it to a different degree to thereby equalize the tensions of said sub-tows, comprising sub-tow supply sources each supplying a substantially undrawn sub-tow; guide members above the said sources for guiding the said subtows removed from the said sources separately in substantially parallel spaced relation; a device for controlling the tensions of said sub-tows including a pair of additional guide members and a means for deflecting the paths of advancement of said sub-tows, said means being disposed between the said additional guide members and thereby adjusting the lengths of those portions of said sub-tows which are spaced between the said pair of additional guide members; and a supporting member for supporting the said guide members and additional guide members which extend in substantially vertical relation to the sub-tows guided by the said guide members.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the relation in position between the said supporting means and the said sub-tow supply sources is such that a supply source of the sub-tow guided by more guide members is situated nearer the said supporting member.

`3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the said means for detlecting the paths of advancement of .said sub-tows and thereby adjusting the lengths of those portions of said sub-tows which are spaced between the said pair of additional guide members consists of one supporting rod extending in a direction transverse to the said paths of advancement of said sub-tows between said pair of additional guide members and a plurality of ring guides, and each ring guide having a ring for guiding one of said sub-tows and being screwed into the said supporting rod for the level adjustment of its corresponding ring.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the said means for deecting the paths of advancement of said subtows and thereby adjusting the lengths of those portions of said sub-tows which are spaced between the said pair of additional guide members comprises one plate having a plurality of holes therein, each hole acting as a guide for one of said sub-tows, said plate extending in a direction transverse to the said paths of advancement of said subtows between said pair of additional guide members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,087,689 4/1963 Heim 242-154 3,323,753 6/ 1967 Spurgeon 66-146 X FOREIGN PATENTS 891,290 3/ 1944 France.

ALLEN N. KNOWLES, Primary Examiner 

